Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit
The Silver Spirit is a British saloon car made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, in England. It was launched in 1980. The Silver Spur was a long-wheelbase version of the Silver Spirit, produced at the same time. The Spirit was the first car to feature the retractable Spirit of Ecstasy. The spring-loaded Mascot sank into the radiator shell if dislodged from its position. Mark I The Silver Spirit, introduced by Rolls-Royce in 1980, was the first of a new generation of models for the company. It formed the basis for the Flying Spur, Silver Dawn, Touring Limousine and Park Ward. The same chassis was also used by sister company, Bentley for their new Mulsanne/Eight series. The entire line was replaced with the BMW-powered Silver Seraph and the Bentley Arnage in 1998. The new car was not entirely new — it shared the basic floor pan of the Silver Shadow as well as that car's 6.75 L (6750 cc/411 in³) V8 engine. The Spur continued with the high degree of ride quality and self-leveling suspension from the Shadow, this time using a Girling automatic hydraulic ride height control system and gas-charged shock absorbers. File:Rolls-Royce Silver Spur (Ste. Anne De Bellevue Veteran's Hospital '10).jpg|Rolls-Royce Silver Spur (North America) Image:'82 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit (Hudson).JPG|1982 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit (North America) Image:Rr_sspur_8221_wiki.jpg|1982 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur (Europe) Mark II (Silver Spirit) (Silver Spur) |length = (Silver Spirit) (Silver Spur) |width = |height = |transmission = 4-speed automatic }} The Silver Spirit II and Silver Spur II were introduced at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show. Again, the suspension was the main innovation, with a fully automatic system adjusting dampers at all four wheels in real time. The dashboard was also redone to help modernize the interior, with two additional bull's eyes ventilation outlets added to the fascia. Other main innovations were the adoption of ABS and fuel injection as standard for all models. Mark III (Silver Spirit) (Silver/Flying Spur) (Silver Spur Touring Limousine) |length = (Silver Spirit) (Flying Spur) (Silver Spur) (Silver Spur Touring Limousine) |width = (Silver Spirit) (w/mirrors: ) (Silver Spur) (w/mirrors: ) (Flying Spur) |height = (Silver Spirit) (Silver/Flying Spur) (Silver Spur Touring Limousine) |engine = 6.75 L Rolls-Royce V8 |transmission = 4-speed automatic }} The Silver Spirit III and Silver Spur III, introduced in 1993, relied on improvements to the traditional V8 engine as their differentiator. A new intake manifold and cylinder heads upped power output, which was still stated simply as "adequate" in company literature. Dual airbags were another new feature, and the rear seats now adjusted independently. Flying Spur The 1994–1995 Flying Spur was a turbocharged version of the Silver Spur III. Only 134 units of this car were produced. The Official Stretch Limos Different Stretch Limo versions were built during the production time by Rolls-Royce in cooperation with the coach builder Mulliner Park Ward in London. Robert Jankel was responsible for the design. The first Silver Spur Limousine was produced in 1982. 16 cars had the 36-inch stretch, 84 cars with 42-inch stretch were produced in 1984 and later. One car had 14-inch stretch. These cars were stretched at the B-pillar, between the front and rear doors. From 1991 on, 99 units of the Touring Limousine with 24-inch stretch were produced. The car was lengthened at the C-pillar with an opera window added, in the spirit of Rolls-Royce's Phantom V and Phantom VI models. Like these earlier models, most of the cars had fold-down occasional seats in the rear passenger area. The Park Ward Limousine was the last one to be officially stretched (24 inches, again at the C-pillar) with 70-unit production commencing in 1996 and concluding in 1999. Image:Park Ward.JPG|1994 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur III Armoured Touring Limousine Mark IV (Silver Spur Touring Limousine) |length = (Silver Spur) (Silver Dawn) |width = (w/mirrors: ) (Silver Spur) (w/mirrors: ) (Silver Dawn) |height = }} The final revision of the Silver Spirit and Silver Spur was introduced late in 1995, but a new Silver Dawn appeared a year earlier in the American market. Another new name was also added, the Park Ward limousine, just as the Silver Spirit name was abandoned. Major changes included the introduction of a wooden column running down the center of the dashboard, the replacement of the old Bosch engine management systems with a newer Zytec one, and the introduction of new sixteen-inch wheels. As of 1997, the long wheelbase was standard on all models, with the limousine models offering the extra-long only. Another major change that year was the introduction of a Garrett turbocharger on all models. Production * 1980-1989 Silver Spirit: 8129 * 1980-1989 Silver Spur: 6238 ** 1985 Silver Spur Centenary: 26 * Silver Spur Limousines ** 1984 Extended 14 in (356 mm): 1 ** 1982-1988 Extended 36 in (914 mm): 16 ** 1984-1988 Extended 42 in (1067 mm): 84 * 1989-1993 Silver Spirit II: 1152 * 1989-1993 Silver Spur II: 1658 * 1993-1994 Silver Spirit III: 211 * 1993-1994 Silver Spur III: 430 * 1994-1995 Flying Spur: 134 * 1995 Silver Spirit: 122 * 1994-1998 Silver Dawn: 237 * 1995-1999 Silver Spur: 507 * 1995-1999 Park Ward: 70 External links * Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Touring Silver Spirit Category:Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Category:Full-size vehicles Category:Sedans Category:1980s automobiles Category:1990s automobiles Category:Vehicles of the United Kingdom